Office vacancy in suburban Chicago fell to 22.6 percent in fourth-quarter 2014, down from 23.4 percent in the previous quarter and from 24.3 percent a year earlier. Lowest level in more than six years. via Suburban Chicago office vacancy rate drops to six-year low – Trend Of The Week – Crain’s Chicago Business.

http://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/7/71/262407/emanuels-push-obama-library-hearings-next-week-south-shore-park-dropped-contender?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Chicago Sun-Times&utm_campaign=195810_ObamaLibrary010614&dm_i=2JCP,4736,2KDDSB,8VIY,1

“It is hard not to wonder about a possible trend: that economic development and growth emanating sourthward from the Loop is on the march through the near south side.”

The disastrous debut of Obamacare and the ever-tighter alliances between public unions and the Democratic Party’s antigrowth factions—especially environmentalists—have further alienated private-sector labor leaders. The head of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, went so far as to offer a local labor official $1 million in union campaign support to take on Emanuel, up for reelection in February. But private unions have a different view of the mayor.

Local officials have little jurisdiction over rail transportation, and some have felt powerless as a torrent of domestically produced oil has begun running through their communities by rail. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have any say. A coalition was formed five years ago to push the rail industry’s federal regulators to pay attention to the effects of increased train traffic in Aurora and Barrington. http://www.thonline.com/news/iowa-illinois-wisconsin/article_d93b561b-b804-5f39-8f8f-3463807d328f.html